Questions tagged [phrasing]
Questions about how something should be put into words in order to express a certain meaning.
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Is it rude to say "how did you end up here"? [closed]
Is it rude to say, "how did you end up here?" to a teacher?
I said it to my English teacher, and then thought, "damn, I don't know if I'm supposed to phrase it that way or not."
So, is it?
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What do you call a statement like "No fake lures"?
We have a car dealer around here with an ad that reads "No Fake Lures". Now, as I understand the concept of a lure, if it doesn't attract attention, it's not a lure. And if a lure does attract ...
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learn how to [verb] vs. learn to [verb]
"learn to [verb]"
"learn how to [verb]"
Is [1] merely a less formal version of [2]? If not, does [1] communicate something subtly different? Consider the following:
In [2], the object of learning is ...
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Is 'I would like to make laugh from you' correct? [closed]
With the meaning to make jokes about somebody. Or, 'They love to make laugh from me', is it correct? or should it be 'at' instead of 'from'?
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Can "to revolve around" mean "to deal with/pertain to"?
... around which the book revolves.
Can I use this expression to say that the book is dealing with a subject, addressing an issue, or talking about something?
I'm open to suggestions if there is a ...
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"Each X" vs. "each of the Xs"
Are each X and each of the Xs interchangeable?
For example, in the following sentence, I would use each of the characters:
Each of the main characters is interesting.
But one could also write the ...
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Can a negative be used to express a positive, such as "mangoes are sweet and so aren't papayas."
Is it incorrect to use the positive/negative construction when the intent is positive/positive? In other words can these two statements be viewed as equivalent:
Mangoes are sweet and so aren't ...
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Wishing someone that something goes easily for them
I'm trying to phrase a sentence in which I'm wishing that something goes easily for someone, but can't get the wording to sound right, and not awkward.
For example, someone may be studying for a test ...
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Can you rephrase this sentence (about storing files)?
Starting from this date all such files will be stored in folder B.
Is it possible to re-phrase this sentence without changing its meaning in such a way that it would start from "Starting from this ...
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Is there any suffix expressing “demand a lot”?
For example, a job that demands a lot of effort is effort-***? Or a program costs lots of money is money-***? Or a task needs high patience is patience-***?
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What's the name of this kind of act?
What's the name of this kind of act? It is commonly seen between friends. (I mean the act between two people, not necessarily 4 people like this one.)
Or can you describe it with a few words?
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Alternative structures for "not only ... but also ..."?
I'm trying to write this essay and I find myself writing too many "not only ... but also ..." structures. Can you guys help me come up with some alternatives?
Basically, I want this kind of ...
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Different ways to say "hope to Learn"
I am writing a study proposal broken into three sections. The third section will cover "what I hope to learn," which is not the greatest phrasing for a section. Alternative suggestions would be ...
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"Should either be" or "should be either"?
Which is more correct:
This rule specifies that an object should be either visible or invisible, but not partially visible.
Or
This rule specifies that an object should either be visible or ...
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is that + <subject> + <verb> OR is the + <noun>
I am writing a paper and I want to criticize some other related work. I want to say that the problem of their work is that they don't support advanced composition rules. So which one is a better ...
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Is it redundant to say, "…based on any arbitrary criteria?"
Should "arbitrary" suffice on its own, or does it make sense to include "any?"
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